Heart Of Darkness
by Imagine-Writer18
Summary: This is my version of Caroline’s and Klaus’ romance. It will follow along with the show with additonal changes I made. I DO NOT OWN VAMPIRE DIARIES OR THEIR CHARACTERS.


Chapter One

Caroline Forbes was dying. She was certain of that. The werewolf bite from Tyler was tearing away at her very being. Her vision was distracted, seeing the visions of the past in her head. Her skin felt like it was crawling and throbbing. The pain was unlike anything she had ever experienced.

"So much for a good birthday." She muttered, barely above a whisper.

She couldn't believe the one person she thought would never harm her, was the very person to be the reason she was going to die. She wailed out in pain as the bite started to spread more on her neck. Tears rolled down her cold cheeks.

This was it for her.

She had just had a funeral for her old self with Elena, Matt, and Bonnie. It seemed a funeral would eventually have to take place for the new her as well.

* * *

Klaus Mikaelson was sitting at the desk that he had put in his new home. He was drawing, a hobby he doesn't share with many people. He shaded part of the landscape when his vampire senses picked up on someone entering his home. He quickly stashed his drawings away as Tyler speeded into the room.

"I bit her, Klaus! I tried to keep myself in check, to not obey your stupid order! But I bit her by accident anyway!" Tyler's teeth snarled at the hybrid in front of him. "She is dying because of me!"

Klaus smirked. "You can't go against our sire bond dear, Tyler."

Anger formed on Tyler's face and his fists clenched. "Dammit, Klaus! I can't lose her!"

Klaus patted Tyler on the shoulder. "I have just the thing to help." He gave him a wink before he sped past Tyler and out the door.

He had already planned to cure Caroline before Tyler threw his tantrum. He wanted to prove to Tyler that he was in control, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. One thing he wasn't certain about was why he was going out of his way to heal Caroline. He reached her front door and spotted the measly human named Matt inside.

Matt noticed the unwelcome vampire at the door. He opened it and gave Klaus a look of hate. He won't let Klaus add to Caroline's already horrible day.

"Tyler came to see me," Klaus began. "Poor boy, he seemed quite distressed. He said Caroline had a terrible accident." His voice was overflowed with urgency. He wasn't sure if his acting was just that, an act.

Matt placed another look of disgust on his face. "You made him do this to her. He would have never done something like this." He knew Tyler changed into a werewolf, but he also knew that it when it came to Caroline, he wouldn't purposely hurt her.

Klaus didn't back down. He could have walked away, and he was uncertain why he didn't, but instead he said, "I'm here to help, Matt." His words felt like the truth to him just as he tried to make them sound. "My blood will heal her. Please ask the sheriff to invite me inside." The word please was poison on his tongue. He had never begged anyone for anything.

Liz Forbes walked around the corner from Caroline's bedroom. She heard every word from the hybrid. She could hear the desperation in his voice, but figured there was a catch. "I know how this game works, Klaus." She began. "You want something in return."

He shook his head at Liz. He didn't want anything. He watched her decipher the situation, and knew time was ticking by. "I just want to help her."

She once again heard the desperation in his voice. Can she really trust him though? She knew he had been known to trick people into doing what he wants. Her eyes move to the door that leads into Caroline's bedroom. Her daughter was going to die. She had to do something. Her blue eyes fell back on him. "Come in."

Klaus walked by Matt with a slight smirk and past Liz. He headed toward the closed door and opened it. He entered the bedroom and saw Caroline lying in her bed, pain written on her face.

Caroline lifted her head from her arm to see who came in. Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. "Are you going to kill me?" She whimpered. She thought the werewolf bite would be the cause of death, but maybe Klaus had decided to do it himself.

"On your birthday? Do you really think that low of me?" He asked, surprised by her asking him of such a thing.

She pondered his question for a moment. Why wouldn't she think low of him? She had witnessed him do such terrible things to all of her friends. She knew his reputation and what he was capable of. "Yes." She answered truthfully. She had always been known for being brutally honest, and she wasn't going to stop now.

Klaus didn't respond. He ignored the unknown feeling he had sprouting up inside of him, and walked toward her. He slowly reached his hand out and lifted her comforter off of her so he could see the damage of the bite.

Caroline whimpered in response.

Klaus apologized under his breath and eyed the wound. He could see it festering against her fair skin. It was bright red from the blood and the infection growing through her veins. "Oh, that is bad." He said to her. "My apologies. You're what's known as collateral damage." He laid his hand on her arm, which made her jump slightly. "It's nothing personal."

She glared at the man above her. It's nothing personal? Is he serious? She watched him move his hand from one arm to the other, which had the bracelet Tyler gave her on it.

His fingers touched the charms and a slight smile placed on his full lips. "I love birthdays." He told her, which was entirely true. He had always been known to celebrate not just the birthday itself, but the celebration that he was no longer bound by trivial human conventions. Which is what he told her when she made a comment about him being old. "We have to adjust your perception of time when you become a vampire, Caroline."

Her light, blue eyes watered once he tells her she is free. "No. I'm dying." The words sounded pitiful to her, and she hated how weak she seemed. She had convinced herself she would never be weak like she was as a human. She had found a strength she wanted to hang on to, but it seemed that would be unlikely.

Klaus gently seated himself on her bed. He could see the turmoil in her eyes. "And I could let you die…" He trailed off, hating the feeling of dread that came with the words. "If that's what you want." He leaned in close to her. "If you really believe your existence has no meaning." Before he knew what was happening, he was telling her how he had thought about it himself a few times over the centuries. He never told anyone that, and it seemed he was spilling his guts to her.

Caroline was confused on why he was telling her all this. She started to search his eyes, to see if he was just messing with her. She didn't see deceit in them. All she saw was a man being honest with her about his life.

"But I'll let you in on a little secret," He said to her. He looked at her intensely. "There's a whole world out there waiting for you, great cities and art and music..." He placed his hand on her arm again, and reveled at the feel of her soft skin against his fingertips. "Genuine beauty." He whispered. "And you can have all of it."

More tears rolled down her cheeks, and he wiped them away swiftly.

"You can have a thousand more birthdays. All you have to do is ask." He told her.

She blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the tears that tried to form. She couldn't understand why he was doing this. But his words sunk in. She somehow knew that he meant everything he said, and by the way he was looking at her, she knew he was genuine about giving her a choice. "I don't want to die." She told him with desperation.

He lifted his sleeve to expose his forearm. He placed his other arm around her to lift her close to him. He ignored the way it felt to have her near him, and raised his arm close to her mouth. "There you go, sweetheart." He whispered against her hair.

Caroline eyed his wrist before she looked up at him. He gave her encouragement to go ahead, and within seconds her teeth broke into his skin. The blood surged through her body.

"Happy birthday, Caroline." He told her before she let go of him.

Her red eyes stared straight into his light ones, and she hated herself for feeling a little gratitude toward him, but she couldn't back away. She stayed in his arms, and watched as he leaned in and placed a light kiss on her forehead. A sensation ran through her, but she ignored it and backed away from him. She was about to try and spat something off when darkness came over her and she fell back against her pillow.

* * *

Klaus ran his fingers along her jawline, admired by how stunning she was. Her light, blonde curls framed her face and matched with perfectly with her pale skin. He compared her beauty to nothing short of a goddess. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well, love." He stayed for a couple hours, knowing he wouldn't get the chance again. He eyed the bracelet he brought to her for her birthday. He had to give her something else for her birthday. Anything to try and get her to at least know she was important.

She hated him though.

And he knew that. He fled from her room, and told himself that he would never show any kind of weakness to her again. He couldn't understand why he was acting that way, and he refused to find out.

* * *

Caroline woke up feeling refreshed from her rest. She remembered everything from last night. To feeling like she was going to die, to relying on Klaus to be her savior. She didn't want to admit to herself that she also remembered the way he looked at her, and how she felt when he held her.

She wasn't going to go there. She knew the real Klaus. The murderous, cold-hearted, monster that he was. Her eyes found a black box and card on her end table. She grabs the card that has From Klaus written perfectly across it. "What in the world?" She whispered. She took the velvety, box off of her end table and slowly opened it.

A beautiful, silver bracelet with diamonds was placed inside it. She ran her finger along it and tried to push the slight smile that was sprouting up. She tried to force down the happiness she felt bubbling inside her. She huffed and snapped closed the box. "I won't let him to get me." She said. Instead of throwing out the bracelet though, she put it in the same spot she found it, not ready to let it go yet.


End file.
